Package handles



NOV. 8, 1960 SILVERSTElN 2,959,342

PACKAGE HANDLES Filed July 3, 1958 INVZNT OR BY I ATTORNEY PACKAGE HANDLES Paul Silverstein, 1365 Carroll St., Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor of one-half to Sidney R. Feinstein Filed July 3, 1958, Ser. No. 746,496

1 Claim. (Cl. 229--52) This invention relates to handles for packages or boxes such as are normally employed by retail stores for packaging various Wearing apparel when a purchase is made.

It is generally somewhat expensive to form integral handles on such boxes and often time consuming to set them up and the trade has come to prefer separate handles which are connected to and which seal the box after the contents have been placed therein. However, even such separate handles entail considerable expense and the trade has long sought for a handle of cheap construction which will nevertheless be fully reliable in sealing the box and in serving as a secure handle.

With the foregoing in mind I have devised a handle which may be formed successively from an ordinary roll of pressure-sensitive tape. This handle is formed from a single length of such pressure-sensitive tape, cut oil from a long roll. The cut off length of tape is reinforced and masked at a central, handhold portion to protect the hand of the user from adhesive and is further provided with integral small tabs which effect the sealing function. The handle is extremely sturdy and will support a considerable weight far exceeding normal requirements. Nevertheless its structure is of the utmost simplicity and economy.

The invention will be further understood from the following description and drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a length of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape formed in accordance with the instant invention;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view as taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a box provided with the improved handle.

Handle is cut from a roll of pressure sensitive tape. Such tape is well-known in the art and one form thereof containing Fiberglas threads has excellent strength characteristics making it well adapted for this purpose. A typical over-all length of the handle may be about 12", the center 6" thereof forming the hand-hold portion 11 as will hereinafter be described. Hand-hold portion 11 is of double thickness having the elongated section 12 folded thereunder and secured thereto by the pressure sensitive adhesive 10a which backs the entire bottom surface of the strip before it is formed into a handle.

Folded under section 12 is formed by side slits 13 which extend to the longitudinal center of the strip 10. Such slits permit section 12 to be folded under to form the double thickness hand-hold portion which also protects the hand of the user from the adhesive. Accordingly, substantially rectangular end sections 14 are formed at the ends of the strip.

The outer longitudinal edge 11a of hand-hold portion 11 is coincident and in alignment with longitudinal edges nited States Patent 14a of end sections 14 while the inner longitudinal edge 11b of the hand-hold portion terminates about centrally of the end sections 14, the hand-hold portion thus being about /2 as wide as the end sections. This provides not only a lateral, relatively narrow and easily gripped handle but further provides smooth, unbroken longitudinal edges on the hand-hold portion which is therefore less likely to tear or catch.

Handle 10 is also provided with substantially central longitudinal slits 15. In an operating embodiment, the length of slit 15 was about /2. This forms substantially square tabs 16 one edge of which remains integral with the remainder of the strip and the inner edge of which is separated from hand-hold portion 11 by slit 15 so that the tabs lie side-by-side with the hand-hold portion. These tabs extend inwardly toward each other, adjacent and parallel to the hand-hold portion 11.

The handle 10 is applied to the box 17 by simply depositing and pressing end sections 14 into place with the handheld portion in an upstanding position. Further, it is to be observed that box 17 is conventionally provided with an open edge 18. It is essential to close the box against inadvertent opening in addition to providing a handle therefor. The integral tabs 16 perform this function. In applying the handle to the box, as the end sections 14 are pressed into place, the tabs 16 are also pressed downwardly to seal the package.

It can be seen therefore that the handle described is of utmost simplicity, economy, and reliability. It, of course, requires no moisture since the adhesive 10a is of the well-known pressure sensitive type. It need only be pressed into place as above described. The formation of the handle may take place in a machine which I have devised but which forms no part of this particular application.

There has been shown what is now considered a preferred embodiment of the invention but it is obvious that changes and omissions may be made without departing from its spirit.

What is claimed is:

A package handle comprising an elongated length of flexible tape, substantially rectangular end sections on said stape and a narrower, elongated hand-hold portion between said end sections, the outer longitudinal edge of said hand-hold portion being coincident and in alignment with a longitudinal edge of each of said end sections and the inner longitudinal edge of said hand-hold portion terminating substantially centrally of said end sections whereby the width of said hand-hold portion is about /2 that of said end sections, a coating of pressure sensitive adhesive on the undersides of said end sections, said hand-hold portion comprising two layers folded on each other with pressure sensitive adhesive connecting the folds, and a pair of tabs extending inwardly from said end sections toward each other and adjacent and parallel to said hand-hold portion, said tabs being separated from said hand-hold portion by one longitudinal, substantially central slit, and said tabs having pressure sensitive adhesive on their undersides.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,524,399 Krueger Jan. 27, 1925 2,021,787 Janowitz Nov. 19, 1935 2,128,723 Zettler Aug. 30, 1938 2,361,673 Young Oct. 31, 1944 2,846,134 Moubayed Aug. 5, 1958 

